SRI LANKA's Colombo International Container Terminals (CICT) says the port will be able to handle 22,000+ TEU containerships after completing in March 2019 the installation of two new mega quay gantry cranes (QGCs) and six new rubber-tired gantry cranes (RTGs), as well as the deployment of 12 prime movers as terminal tractors.
According to CICT, its existing QGCs are the biggest gantry cranes on the Indian Subcontinent, and the addition of two even larger twin-lift QGCs from Zhenhua Port Machinery Company (ZPMC) will further strengthen the port of Colombo's hub status, reported Colombo's FT.
The new QGCs will provide a lifting height of 54 metres above rail level and 18 metres below rail level with an outreach of 26 across and a lifting capacity of 65 tonnes. They are expected to raise CICT's container handling capacity by 13 per cent.
To bolster quayside and yard operations, the six new RTGs also manufactured by ZPMC are able to stack one container over six containers high and one container across six containers width.
'This improvement of capacity and upgrade of facilities at a time of global economic uncertainty is an emphatic demonstration of our commitment to the port of Colombo, and reflects how serious we are about continuing to be the major contributor to the port's bid to be a major transshipment hub,' CICT CEO Jack Huang said.
'CICT has taken the initiative to boost the port's deep-water capacity within just five years of commencement of operations, at a time when other ports in the region are aggressively adding capacity. Demand for deep-water facilities is increasing at a rapid pace and requires the quick response that only CICT is able to provide.'
Mr Huang also pointed out that the additional equipment will generate more capacity and berthing space by turning ships around faster.
CICT is already the main contributor to growth at the port of Colombo, having attracted one million TEU and two million TEU, respectively, in its first two years of operation. The terminal's productivity level of achieving 36 moves per hour has helped the port move from 28th position to 23rd among the world's top 30 ports, and from 18th to 13th for connectivity.
In its last four years of operation, CICT has brought some of the largest vessels plying the Asia-Europe routes to Colombo. Of these, Milan Maersk (20,568 TEU), MSC Maya (19,224 TEU), Mogens Maersk (18,300 TEU), MSC New York (16,652 TEU) and CMA CGM Marco Polo (16,020 TEU) now regularly call at the box terminal.
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According to CICT, its existing QGCs are the biggest gantry cranes on the Indian Subcontinent, and the addition of two even larger twin-lift QGCs from Zhenhua Port Machinery Company (ZPMC) will further strengthen the port of Colombo's hub status, reported Colombo's FT.
The new QGCs will provide a lifting height of 54 metres above rail level and 18 metres below rail level with an outreach of 26 across and a lifting capacity of 65 tonnes. They are expected to raise CICT's container handling capacity by 13 per cent.
To bolster quayside and yard operations, the six new RTGs also manufactured by ZPMC are able to stack one container over six containers high and one container across six containers width.
'This improvement of capacity and upgrade of facilities at a time of global economic uncertainty is an emphatic demonstration of our commitment to the port of Colombo, and reflects how serious we are about continuing to be the major contributor to the port's bid to be a major transshipment hub,' CICT CEO Jack Huang said.
'CICT has taken the initiative to boost the port's deep-water capacity within just five years of commencement of operations, at a time when other ports in the region are aggressively adding capacity. Demand for deep-water facilities is increasing at a rapid pace and requires the quick response that only CICT is able to provide.'
Mr Huang also pointed out that the additional equipment will generate more capacity and berthing space by turning ships around faster.
CICT is already the main contributor to growth at the port of Colombo, having attracted one million TEU and two million TEU, respectively, in its first two years of operation. The terminal's productivity level of achieving 36 moves per hour has helped the port move from 28th position to 23rd among the world's top 30 ports, and from 18th to 13th for connectivity.
In its last four years of operation, CICT has brought some of the largest vessels plying the Asia-Europe routes to Colombo. Of these, Milan Maersk (20,568 TEU), MSC Maya (19,224 TEU), Mogens Maersk (18,300 TEU), MSC New York (16,652 TEU) and CMA CGM Marco Polo (16,020 TEU) now regularly call at the box terminal.
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